Jansen Panettiere’s cause of death has been revealed to have been from an enlarged heart and other complications. The actor’s parents Lesley Vogel and Skip Panettiere as well as his sister Hayden shared his cause of death in a statement to ABC News, a little over a week after his unexpected passing at 28. “Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen’s sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications,” they said in a statement.
Cardiomegaly can be caused by certain types of heart disease and damage. It can be temporary and can be asymptomatic, but some symptoms also include shortness of breath, arrhythmia, and more, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Earlier in the statement, the Panettieres mourned Jansen’s death. “Jansen’s heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and revealing paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit,” they said. “His charisma, warmth, compassion for others, and his creative spirit will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom he encountered.”
Jansen died over the weekend of February 18 and 19. At the time of his passing, no cause of death was reported and foul play was not suspected. Like his sister, Jansen was also an actor, appearing in a wide variety of projects over the years. He got to work with his sister on the 2004 Disney Channel Original Movie Tiger Cruise. He also leant his voice to the animated films Robots (2005) and Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006). In more recent years, he had acted in a 2019 episode of The Walking Dead and his last role was 2022 film Love And Love Not, per IMDb.
In more recent years, Jansen had begun to focus on painting alongside his acting. He had shared much of his work and merchandise with his art on it on his Instagram prior to his death.